Area 51 Back Gate Road partially paved

The Area 51 Back Gate Road has just been partially paved. The oil pavement is covered with a thin layer of very fine gravel or sand, which explains the gravel piles that have been sitting near the Back Gate guard shack and at a newly created staging area outside the fence. Almost all of the gravel is gone, and so are most of the road construction vehicles. Except for an oil truck with an "Area 51 style" military license plate inside the fence at the Back Gate guard shack.

The pavement goes for 2.2 miles from the Guard Shack to the intersection with a road leading north and eventually back to Hwy 375. The pavement continues up that road for another 0.8 miles and then ends. There is no indication for plans to extend the pavement past that point. The rest of that road is very "washboardy", indicating heavy truck traffic on that road.

The Rachel gravel pit is also very active. We have reports of dy and night operations for several weeks now. Most of the trucks are heading north on Hwy 375 in the direction of Queen City Summit and Cedar Gate. We have no further information on where they go.